Railway signaling device.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

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APPLIOATION FILED. APR. 13. 1903.

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`'PUBMED JUNE 7, 1904.

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. mentary plan view of the apparatus.

Patented June 7, 1904.' i

PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES O. GARRETT, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

RAILWAY sleNALlNe. DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,825, dated June 7, 1904.

Application liled April 13, 1903.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES O. GAERETT, a citizen' of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makek and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway signaling devices, and is intended for use in connection with bridges and culverts and is adapted to give the danger-signal au-Y tomatically to a train approaching from either direction in case of injury to the bridge or culvert resulting from fire or water or other cause or in case the water rises so as to make the crossing of the bridge dangerous for trains.

Provision is also made for operating the signaling mechanism by hand when for any reason it may be desirable or necessary to do so.

Having brieiiy outlined the objects of my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view showing my improved device in use. Fig. 2 is a similar but fragmentary view of the apparatus, shown on alarger scale. Fig. 3 is a detail view oi' the signal-releasingdevice,

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 3 and illustrating a device for actuating the signalreleasing lever in case oi iire or destruction of the bridge resulting from other cause. 5 is a view illustrating the signaling mechanism, shown on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a frag- Fig. 7 shows a hand operating device for controlling the danger-signals at opposite ends of the bridge or culvert.

rIhe same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the portion of Fig.

Serial No. 152,469. (No model.)

from the signal holding and releasing device 9, the extremities of the ropes remote from the last-named device being each connected with a signal 10, which is normally held out of the danger-indicating position by the device 9, hereinafter described in detail. The sigvnal 10 may be of any suitable construction.

As shown in the drawings it consists of an arm 10c, fulcrumed or pivoted to a post 12, as shown at 13. The rope or cord 8 is connected with this arm on one side of the pivot, while the device 9 at the culvert or bridge normally holds the arm down out of the danger-indicating position. Whenever the device 9 is actuated to release the signal-arm, :a weight 14, connected with the said arm on the opposite side of the pivot from its connection with the rope 8, throws the signal-arm to the danger position. (Indicated by dotted lines in Eig. 5.) The weight 14, as shown in the drawings, consists of a rod 14a, carrying a number of metal blocks 14e, for convenience of regulation. These blocks are arranged to slide on the rod and are held in position by a nut 15, screwed on the rod, which is threaded for the purpose. The rodis also provided with nuts 16 and 17, which by engagement with a guide-bracket 18, mounted on the post 12, limit the movement of the arm 10c in both directions. The extension of the arm 1()c to a position at right angles to the post'12, as indicated by dotted lines in Figl 5, indicates danger and is all that is required for aday-signal; butfor night 10, is brought between the lantern and the ap- 9 5 IOO remote from the signals are provided with apertured plates 20, which when the signals are held to indicate a clear track or no danger overlap each other, so that their openings register. These plates engage and are Supported in operative relation by an upright guidebraeket 24", mounted on a horizontal beam 24, suitably connected with the framework ofthe bridge. These plates are engaged by a pin 21, which passes through the openings therein and is normally held in position by the pull of the ropes, whose tension is regulated by the weights 14. The pin 14is pivotally connected with the upper arm of the lever 22, fulerumed on a suitable support 23 beneath the track. The lower extremity of this lever is provided with a cross-piece 25, which projects downwardly far enough to be actuated bythe water when the latter rises high enough to make the passage of the bridge dangerous for the trains. The lever 22 is set, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the lever is inclined to throw its lower arm up the stream or so that the current when moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5 will throw it to the dotted-line position and disengage the pin 21 from the plates 20 of the signal-ropes when the water rises to a suieient height to make the crossing of the bridge dangerous. As soon as this occurs the weights 14 will actuate the signals 10 to throw them to the danger position, as heretofore explained.

In ease of fire at the culvert or bridge a weighted arm 26 is released and falling strikes the part 25 of the lever 22 with sniiicient force to disengage the pin 21 from the plates 2() of the ropes 8, allowing the signals to assume the danger position. This arm 26 is made fast to a pin 27, to which is also made fast an arm 28, having its extremity remote from the pin provided with a hook normally engaging a rope or cord 29, composed of material readily combustible and therefore ad apted to be quickly destroyed in case of injury to the bridge by fire. This rope or cord 29 has its extremities made fast at suitable points at the opposite ends of the bridge or culvert and extends underneath the same, engaging pulleys 30. Vhen the bridge is undergoing repairs, one of the cords 8 at one end of the bridge may be cut at one of the posts 6 and a lever-arm 31 pivotally connected with the post, as shown at 32. r1`he extremities of the cord 8 where the latter is ent are then connected with the lever-arm at points 33. When this lever-arm is thrown downwardly to the dotted-line position in Fig. 7 the signals are held in the clear-track or no-danger position, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. When, however, it is desired to notify trains that the bridge is not in condition to be crossed, this lever-arm is released, when it will automatically assume the full-line position in Fig. 7 under the iniiuenee of the weights 14, connected with the signals. When the arm 31 is in the dotted-line position, it is held in place bya pin 34, inserted in a bracket; 35, so located as to occupy a position in snitable proximity to the arm 211 when the latter occupies the dotted-line position in said ligure.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved device will be readily understood. Assuming that the device is set as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the signals 10 at the opposite ends of the bridge are held in the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In this event the device 22 is in the position shown by full lilies in Fig. 4. Now if the water rises so high beneath the culvert as to make the bridge dangerous l'or the crossing of trains the water will strike the cross-piece 25 of the lever 22 and throw the latter to the dotted-line position in Fig. 4, releasing the pin 21 from the plates 20 oi the ropes 8. The weights 14 will now act on the signals 1() to throw them both to the dottedline or danger position, and assuming that the lantern 19is lighted thedanger-signal will be given to trains approaching from either direction, whether during the d ay-time or night, as heretofore explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a signal and a connection whereby the signal normally has a tendency to assume the danger position, ol a` lever-like device mounted adjacent the track and provided with a pin, a flexible device connected at one extremity with the signal and provided at its opposite extremity with an apertured plate, astationary bracket engaged by the plate, the pin of the lever-like device engaging the opening in the plate and extending at right angles to the latter, whereby the pull of the signal device in its ell'ort to assume the danger position holds the plate in engagement with the pin of the lever-like device, the arrangement being such that as the lastnamed device is actuated, its pin is disengaged from the plate of the flexible. device whereby the signal is released and allowed to assume the danger position.

2."V he combination of a signal device movably mounted and weighted whereby it has a tendency to assume the danger position, a device movably suspended ad jacent the track and provided with a pin pivotally moui'ited thereon, a I'iexible device connected at one extremity with the signal and provided at its opposite extremity with an apertured plate through which the pin of the suspended device passes, the plate extending at right angles to the pin, and a small stationary bracket engaged by the plate and in which the latter is adapted to slide freely, whereby the tendency of the signal to assume the danger position under the iniuence of the weight is suiiicient to hold the pin in operative relation with the plate of the flexible device.

3. The combination of two signals located lOO on opposite sides of the danger-point of a railway-track and pivotally mounted, each signal being weighted on one side of the rpivot whereby it has a tendency to assume normally the danger position, a device movably suspended intermediate the two signals, exible devices connected at one extremity with the signals on the sides of the pivot opposite the weights, the opposite extremities of the flexible devices being provided with apertured plates which overlap each other whereby their openings are made to register, a stationary guide-bracket in which the plates are mounted and adapted to slide freely, and a pin mounted on the suspended device, engaging the openings of the two overlapping plates, and extending at right angles to the plates, the pull of the weighted signals on the flexible devices being sufcient to normally hold the pin of the suspended device in position when the latter is set, to give it a tendency to disengage its pin from the said plates, the arrangement being such that as the suspended device is actuated, its pin is disengaged from the plates of the flexible devices and the signals released whereby they are allowed to assume their normal or danger positiou.

4. In a railway signaling device, the combination of a signal located in suitable proximity to a bridge, culvert or other point where accidents are liable to occur, a device movably mounted at the danger-point and connected to the signal which is normally in position to indicate a clear track or no danger, a weight mounted on the bridge and arranged to fallin case of accident to the bridge and actuate the movable device which is located in the path of the weight, a pin connected with the movable device, two overlapping platesprovided i with openings through which the said pin passes, stationary means for supporting the plates, and flexible devices connected with the said plates at one extremity and with a signal at each end ofthe bridge or culvert at the other extremity, whereby as the movable device is actuated by the weight, the pin is withdrawn from the plates and the signals operated to indicate danger.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of-two witnesses.

JAMES O. GARRET'I. Witnesses:

DENA NnLsoN, A. J. OBRIEN. 

